Conventionally, as disclosed in JP, H06-331505, A, there is a well-known vehicle confronting apparatus that arranges a vehicle at a predetermined position and into a predetermined direction (posture). This device is used for various purposes, such as evaluation about whether or not the direction of (direction of an optical axis of) headlights of the vehicle or a backing guide monitor of the vehicle is proper, or about whether or not the alignment of wheels of the vehicle is proper.
The vehicle confronting apparatus described in JP, H06-331505, A, confronts the vehicle by moving a target vehicle onto the table, and by pushing side surfaces of the wheels of the vehicle so as to move the vehicle in the transversal direction.
However, since the vehicle confronting apparatus described in JP, H06-331505, A moves the vehicle by pushing the side surfaces of the wheels of the vehicle, elastic deformation remains in the wheels of the vehicle and hysteresis remains in an undercarriage (such as suspensions) of the vehicle after the vehicle reaches the confronting position.
Therefore, the confronting of the vehicle at the confronting position is not reflected on the actual traveling state of the vehicle, thereby reducing the reliability of the above-mentioned various evaluations based on the confronting.
Moreover, there is another well-known vehicle confronting apparatus which is named as a run-out-type confronting apparatus. As to this apparatus, the elastic deformation remaining in the wheels and hysteresis remaining in an undercarriage of the vehicle are removed while the wheels are supported and are driven rotationally.
However, as to the conventional run-out-type confronting apparatus, the vehicle entered in the apparatus may be deviated from the desired confronting position. In this case, it takes a long time to move the vehicle to the confronting position while removing the elastic deformation remaining the wheels and hysteresis remaining in the undercarriage of the vehicle, thereby reducing workability (productivity).
Moreover, as another problem, the run-out-type confronting apparatus, especially the wheel-supporting portion thereof for supporting the wheels, is enlarged, since the supporting members supporting wheels have to be large in the transversal direction enough to completely remove the lateral forces of the wheels (the forces of the wheels for pushing the ground sidewise) while the wheels of the vehicle are rotationally driven on the apparatus for a long time.
In addition, the enlargement of the wheel-supporting parts of the confronting apparatus increases the weight thereof. As a result, the lateral force may be insufficient to correspond to the weight of the supporting parts, so that it is difficult to remove the lateral force.